Aquaculture overtaking traditional fishing production

Tue, 2011-02-01 09:46

Aquaculture is overtaking traditional fishing in global production, but a scientist with FAO predicted that growth would slow as space for the food farms dwindled and concerns grew about their effects on the environment.

From the New York Times:

Aquaculture is overtaking traditional fishing in global production, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported Monday. But a scientist with the organization predicted that growth would slow as space for the food farms dwindled and concerns grew about their effects on the environment.

Fish farming is the fastest growing area of animal food production, having increased at a 6.6 percent annual rate from 1970 to 2008, the agency said in the report. Over that period, the global per-capita supply of farm-raised fish soared to 17.2 pounds from 1.5 pounds.

In volume, aquaculture now makes up 46 percent of the world’s supply of consumed fish, and the sector appears to have overtaken wild fisheries in commercial value, reaching $98.4 billion in 2008, compared with $93.9 billion for fish caught in the wild.